This chapter deals with denial, dogma, and the heroic myth; three subjects that are interconnected, both historically and psychologically. Jointly these habits and assumptions shape and limit ...
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This chapter deals with denial, dogma, and the heroic myth; three subjects that are interconnected, both historically and psychologically. Jointly these habits and assumptions shape and limit consciousness, encouraging violence and often arguing that force is the best or even the only possible response to conflict. Many societies and cultures propagate a false idea of heroism through images and stories of mythic heroes who are never afraid and cannot be defeated. These exaggerated notions of heroism are often passed on to our children, giving them a seductive and dangerously unrealistic idea of warfare. Though this mythology has been used by many leaders throughout history in the service of ambition or even greed, to claim that heroic myths cause organized violence would be far too simple. No single cause suffices to explain any act of terrorism. The chapter also explores fanatics and fanaticism; poems by William Stafford and Jane Hirshfield; the concept of evil; a speech delivered by Barbara Lee on September 14, 2001 opposing the post-9/11 use of force; and vulnerability and the sukkah of shalom.Less

Denial, Dogma, and the Heroic Myth

karin lofthus carringtonsusan griffin

Published in print: 2011-02-06

This chapter deals with denial, dogma, and the heroic myth; three subjects that are interconnected, both historically and psychologically. Jointly these habits and assumptions shape and limit consciousness, encouraging violence and often arguing that force is the best or even the only possible response to conflict. Many societies and cultures propagate a false idea of heroism through images and stories of mythic heroes who are never afraid and cannot be defeated. These exaggerated notions of heroism are often passed on to our children, giving them a seductive and dangerously unrealistic idea of warfare. Though this mythology has been used by many leaders throughout history in the service of ambition or even greed, to claim that heroic myths cause organized violence would be far too simple. No single cause suffices to explain any act of terrorism. The chapter also explores fanatics and fanaticism; poems by William Stafford and Jane Hirshfield; the concept of evil; a speech delivered by Barbara Lee on September 14, 2001 opposing the post-9/11 use of force; and vulnerability and the sukkah of shalom.

The very act of slavery may be perceived as evil or not evil by both slaveholders and slaves. This chapter explores how our definitions of human rights are bound up with our ideas about evil. It ...
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The very act of slavery may be perceived as evil or not evil by both slaveholders and slaves. This chapter explores how our definitions of human rights are bound up with our ideas about evil. It demonstrates how acts move through a process of being redefined as evil, and how that attribution of evil then leads to a privileging of victims' perspectives. Those perspectives undergo a further process of codification, ultimately emerging as “human rights.” To understand this process better, we can turn to modern slavery for examples.Less

Slavery and the Human Right to Evil

Kevin Bales

Published in print: 2005-07-11

The very act of slavery may be perceived as evil or not evil by both slaveholders and slaves. This chapter explores how our definitions of human rights are bound up with our ideas about evil. It demonstrates how acts move through a process of being redefined as evil, and how that attribution of evil then leads to a privileging of victims' perspectives. Those perspectives undergo a further process of codification, ultimately emerging as “human rights.” To understand this process better, we can turn to modern slavery for examples.